10 WAYS TO SLOW DOWN THE AGING PROCESS Can we really slow down our aging process ?

Some folks who are already in their sixties still look as if they are in their forties, or some of those who are in their fifties look as if they are in their thirties. What are their secrets ? Is there really such a thing as fountain of youth ? Here are ten recommended ways to slow down the aging. (1) Add more antiaging chemicals to your diet. There is a group of substances known as "antioxidants" that helps greatly in keeping you young. They neutralize what scientists call "free radicals". Free radicals set off a chain reaction that can kill cells, tear holes in cell membranes, mutate DNA which is the mastermind of cell activity. One theory, which was formulated by Denham Harman, PhD, a biochemist at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine, contends that the cumulative damage by free radicals is responsible for the decline in functioning that accompanies aging. Two known antioxidants are Vitamin A and C. The best source of Vitamin C are citrus fruits.Rich source of Vitamin A are carrots, squash, spinach and collard greens. (2) Take a brisk walk every other day. Walk fast for 20 minutes three or more days a week.Walking strengthens the bones in your lower half, making you less susceptible to osteoporosis. A brisk pace usually means covering a mile about 15 minutes . Briskwalking is a good alternative for those who are reluctant to do traditional aerobic exercises. Aerobics exercises reduce your risk of heart disease by helping prevent high blood pressure, lowering artery-hardening cholesterol in your bloodstream and possibly decreasing blood clotting. (3) Follow a fat-buster diet The main health goal in cutting down fat content in the diet is to prevent your vital arteries from clogging up with cholesterol. The standard advice has been to shift from animal-based foods like meat and butter to vegetables. The following foods have been recommended by nutritionists as fat-busters. Polyunsaturated fats Best source : sunflower-seed oil.. They tend to lower blood cholesterol levels. * Water-soluble fiber, which binds with water and a cholesterol components in the gastrointestinal tract, helps remove the cholesterol from the system. Best sources are beans and oat products and fruits with pectin such as oranges and apples. Fish, particularly salmon and mackerel. They contain a component known as EPA ( eicosapentanoic acid), which nullifies the high fat content in fish. . Nutritionists recommend that you eat fish at least three times a week. If you are really serious to lower your blood cholesterol , eat a standard portion of fish and a hefty portion of water-soluble fiber a day. (4) Maintain a normal Body-Mass Index. Body mass index is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women . Normal BMI ranges from 18.5 to 24.9. Overweight ranges from 25 to 29.9. Above 30 is considered as obesity. If you are 20 percent over your ideal weight, you must drop some extra pounds. Being an overweight is a factor in adult-onset diabetes, heart disease and breast cancer. (5) Build bone density and functional strength. Most adults lose one percent of bone mass annually. As you lose bone minerals your bones become lighter, more porous, weaker and greater risk of fracture. You can increase bone density and strength with weight bearing exercises such as walking, bicycling, swimming or weight training. Take also Vitamin D to reduce the aging process of bones. Take 400 IU of Vitamin D daily or one tablespoon of cod liver oil. (6) Stop Smoking. According to British physician Douglas Model, ( Member of the Royal College of Physicians), smokers tend to have at least one of the following: pronounced wrinkling and lines, gauntness or an off-color complexion. Dr. Model believes smoking ages looks by reducing the flow of blood to the skin. (7) Clean up your dental act. After 40, the main cause of tooth loss is periodontal or gum disease. The culprit: "plaque", a sticky film made up of bacteria, saliva, and food debris. Bacteria produces toxins that irritate gums, making them recede and form pockets. If the immune system of the body can't fight the bacterial invasion , the bones anchoring the teeth eventually erode and teeth fall out. Brushing every after meals, and daily flossing will reduce plaque attacks. Teeth must be cleaned by dentist at least twice a year. (8) Drink a lot of fluids to maintain healthy skin and flush out wastes. Maintain at least eight 8-ounze glass of water a day. (9) Manage You stress. Stress accelerates the aging process. Eternally youthful celebrities like Andie Macdowell and Meryl Streep realize that managing stress level is key to looking younger for longer . When we suffer stress we lose our bodies natural balance which causes damage to hormone secretion, cell repair, and collagen production. More worrying recent research suggests that when the body is exposed over a long period of time to stress hormones can speed up brain aging. (10) Practice relaxing Practice relaxing to lower down stress level in your body. Listening to a good music or watching a nice, wholesome television show will help a lot. Aging: The process of becoming older, a process that is genetically determined and environmentally modulated. Some useful suggestions for extending life: No known substance can halt aging or extend life, but here are some useful tips for improving the chances of living a long time and staying healthy: 1. Eat a balanced diet, including five helpings of fruits and vegetables a day. 2. Exercise regularly (check with a doctor before starting an exercise program). 3. Get regular health check-ups. 4. Don't smoke (it's never too late to quit). 5. Practice safety habits at home to prevent falls and fractures. 6. Always wear your seatbelt in a car.

7. Stay in contact with family and friends. 8. Stay active through work, play, and community. 9. Avoid overexposure to the sun and the cold. 10. If you drink, moderation is the key. 11. When you drink, let someone else drive. 12. Keep personal and financial records in order to simplify budgeting and investing. 13. Plan long-term housing and money needs. 14. Keep a positive attitude toward life. 15. Do things that make you happy. Dividing the lifespan 95 year old woman holding a five-month-old boy An animal's life is often divided into various age ranges. However, because biological changes are slow-moving and can vary within one's own species, arbitrary dates are usually set to mark periods of life. The human divisions given below are not valid in all cultures: Juvenile [via infancy, childhood, preadolescence, adolescence (teenager)]: 0-19 Early adulthood: 20-39 Middle adulthood: 40-59 Late adulthood: 60+ Ages can also be divided by decade: Age (years, Term inclusive) Denarian 10 to 19 Vicenarian 20 to 29 Tricenarian 30 to 39 Quadragenarian 40 to 49 Quinquagenarian 50 to 59 Sexagenarian 60 to 69 Septuagenarian 70 to 79 Octogenarian 80 to 89 Nonagenarian 90 to 99 Centenarian 100 to 109 Supercentenarian 110 and older Successful ageing The concept of successful ageing can be traced back to the 1950s, and popularised in the 1980s. Previous research into ageing exaggerated the extent to which health disabilities, such as diabetes or osteoporosis, could be attributed exclusively to age, and research in gerontology exaggerated the homogeneity of samples of elderly people.[31][32] Successful ageing consists of three components:[33] 1. Low probability of disease or disability; 2. High cognitive and physical function capacity; 3. Active engagement with life. A greater number of people self-report successful ageing than those that strictly meet these criteria.[31] Successful ageing may be viewed an interdisciplinary concept, spanning both psychology and sociology, where it is seen as the transaction between society and individuals across the life span with specific focus on the later years of life. [34] The terms "healthy ageing"[31] "optimal ageing" have been proposed as alternatives to successful ageing. Six suggested dimensions of successful ageing include:[18] 1. No physical disability over the age of 75 as rated by a physician; 2. Good subjective health assessment (i.e. good self-ratings of one's health); 3. Length of undisabled life; 4. Good mental health; 5. Objective social support; 6. Self-rated life satisfaction in eight domains, namely marriage, income-related work, children, friendship and social contacts, hobbies, community service activities, religion and recreation/sports.